"Call Liz," Damon ordered Elijah the moment he took in the scene. Without hesitating or waiting for a reply, he bit into his own wrist and pressed it against Ric's mouth.

"Come on, Ric, drink," he urged, lifting his friend's head gently, praying it would help. He couldn't be too late; he just couldn't. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he felt Ric's lips move against his wrist, swallowing the blood that would heal all his injuries.

"The Sheriff's on her way," Elijah informed him. "She said to try not to touch anything if we can."

Damon nodded, knowing it was too late for that advice when it came to Ric. He'd leave the other dead guy as he was; the lack of a heartbeat already told him it was too late. Ric's eyes blinked open a second later, and he groaned. Damon's blood would heal him, but it would take a few minutes, given his injuries and how close to death he'd been.

"Hang in there, buddy," Damon whispered, relief flooding through him as he watched the colour slowly return to Ric's face. The room was tense, the air thick with the scent of blood and fear, but Damon focused solely on Ric, willing his friend to recover.

"Damon..." Ric croaked his voice weak but alive.

"Shh, save your strength," Damon said, squeezing his shoulder. "You're going to be okay."

The seconds stretched on, each one a tiny eternity. Damon glanced at Elijah, who was scanning the room with sharp eyes, ensuring no further threats lurked in the shadows.

"John," Ric muttered after a moment, struggling to push himself up.

Both Damon and Elijah turned their heads sharply to stare at him.

"What did you say?" Elijah demanded; his voice edged with urgency.

Damon shot Elijah a disapproving look, then gently helped Ric sit up, leaning his back against the bench. Ric wasn't completely healed yet, but he was getting there, in another couple of minutes he'd be fine.

"It was John," Ric answered, breathless but determined. "John Gilbert. I walked in right after he killed Tobias, and he attacked me."

Damon's eyes darkened with fury. If John hadn't already signed his death sentence by teaming up with the Necromancer to kill the Originals, this would have done it.

"John Gilbert?" Damon repeated, the name dripping with venom. "That son of a—"

"Why would he do this?" Elijah interrupted, frowning. "It makes no sense. That man wasn't a vampire, and neither are you."

Ric shook his head, wincing as he struggled to process the chaotic events.

"I don't know. He seemed really unhinged. He must have come for the sign. Maybe he killed Tobias when he realized it was missing."

"What sign?" Elijah pressed; his curiosity piqued.

"The Wickery Bridge sign," Ric explained, his voice strained. "I heard about the white oak the bridge was made of from Rebekah and Stefan. I told Rebekah about the sign we were restoring; I don't know if it was made from the same white oak as the bridge, but I figured it was better safe than sorry."

Damon and Elijah shared a relieved look. At least they didn't have to worry about John Gilbert getting his hands on any white oak. If Rebekah knew about the sign, then it was already destroyed. She wouldn't have risked waiting, not for anything.

The sound of approaching sirens, which had been growing louder, suddenly cut off. A minute later, the Sheriff appeared, trailed by a couple of deputies. The tension in the room heightened as the law enforcement officers took in the scene.

As Damon and Elijah helped Ric to his feet and out of the room, Liz left her two deputies—thankfully, ones assigned by Selene—to secure the scene and followed them into the hallway.

"So, what exactly happened here?" she demanded.

"It was John Gilbert," Ric answered, his voice strained but steady. "I'd just finished grading some papers and was on my way out when I heard noises. I popped my head in to look and saw John Gilbert standing over Tobias with a bloody chisel in his hands. He attacked me. We struggled, but he managed to stab me with the chisel and then slammed my head into the floor. I don't know whether he thought I was already dead or just figured I would be soon, but he took off after that. I managed to call Damon before I passed out."

Liz frowned, her gaze shifting to Damon and Elijah.

"I came straight here after I got Ric's call," Damon explained. "Elijah offered to accompany me. The other guy, Tobias? He was already dead when we arrived, and Ric was pretty close to it. I gave him my blood to heal him while Elijah called you."

"And neither of you saw John Gilbert?" Liz asked, her eyes narrowing.

Damon shook his head. "We didn't see anyone else," Elijah replied.

"This is a damn mess," Liz muttered.

"What's going on?" Damon asked, sensing there was more to the story.

"This is the third Council member to be murdered in as many days. If John Gilbert was behind this one, then what are the chances he was behind the others?"

"The third?" Damon's eyes widened.

"The Council Records Keeper was found dead Saturday evening. The Medical Examiner yesterday, and now Tobias Fell." She shook her head, frustration etched on her face. "I'll put out an APB on John Gilbert."

"Be careful, Sheriff," Elijah advised solemnly. "John Gilbert is working with a very dangerous and powerful witch named Lillith. You may want to leave this one to us."

Liz's eyes hardened.

"And if I do, will I get a murderer in custody by the end of it, or just another dead body?" she asked shrewdly.

Damon stepped forward his expression serious.

"Liz, when Elijah says dangerous, he means deadly, more so than any vampire. John Gilbert on his own, your officers might be able to handle, but if they find him when he's with her, they will die, and it won't be pretty. Please let us handle this. I can't promise to hand over John Gilbert, but I can promise that we will do everything we can to stop him before any more bodies drop."

Liz sighed, the weight of the situation pressing down on her.

"Fine. But keep me informed. And if you need help, with anything, you call me. Understood?"

"Understood." Damon replied promptly.

He knew, and Liz knew, that he didn't mean it. But if it made her feel better to hear it, then so be it.

As Liz turned to leave, Damon and Elijah exchanged a look, their expressions dark and determined.

"We need to find John before Liz and her deputies get in over their heads," Damon said quietly, his voice tense with urgency.

"If we find John, we find Lillith," Elijah replied, his gaze steely. "The question is, how do we find John?"

"Jenna's sister, Miranda," Ric offered, his voice still weak but clear. He had overheard their conversation and wanted to contribute. "Jenna said she was arguing with him the other day. After Rebekah wiped Elena's memories. I don't know if she knows where he is, but she might have the best idea."

Elijah nodded firmly.

"I'll send Rebekah and Finn over to talk to her. If we have an idea of where he is, we can make a plan of attack. Free Mother and take John and Lillith down together."

Finn knocked on the door of the Gilbert home, while Rebekah leaned against one of the porch pillars. She would rather be anywhere but here, but Elijah had been adamant—none of them were to go anywhere alone until the situation was resolved. Klaus refused to leave Maya's side, and Kol was busy helping Aradia, which left Rebekah.

After a few moments of silence, Finn knocked again, harder this time. Rebekah tilted her head, listening intently. She heard three faint heartbeats inside, the kind that signalled someone was injured. Without waiting for a response, she nudged Finn aside and delivered a powerful kick to the door, sending it crashing open.

"Reb—!"

Finn's exclamation was cut short as his eyes fell on Jeremy Gilbert, sprawled at the bottom of the stairs, a pool of blood spreading around his head. While a lack of invitation held Rebekah at the threshold, Finn was unbound by such limitations. He rushed inside, crossing the space to Jeremy in two strides. He tore open his wrist and pressed it to Jeremy's mouth, letting his blood flow into the boy before moving on to find the other two heartbeats.

In the kitchen, Jenna lay pale and unconscious, her heart stuttering painfully with each beat, though she bore no visible injuries. Finn repeated the process, pressing his wrist to her mouth until her heartbeat steadied and grew stronger. With Jenna stable, he followed the last heartbeat upstairs to what appeared to be Elena's bedroom. Miranda lay unconscious on the floor, her surroundings suggesting this was Elena's room. Of the doppelganger herself, there was no sign. Finn fed Miranda his blood and carried her downstairs to the living room.

Rebekah, now invited inside by a revived Jeremy, helped him guide Jenna into the room. They settled the three humans on the couches, making sure everyone was conscious and relatively stable.

"What happened?" Rebekah demanded, her eyes flashing with anger as she addressed the shaken trio.

"It was Uncle John," Jeremy replied grimly, having recovered the most after receiving vampire blood. "He was with a woman."

"They came for Elena," Miranda said, her voice trembling. "I tried to stop them, but the woman... She held up her hand, and it was... I've never felt pain like that before."

"Same," Jeremy and Jenna agreed simultaneously, their faces pale with fear.

"About twenty, really pale, black hair all done up in braids, creepy eyes?" Finn asked, his expression darkening.

All three of them nodded in unison.

"Her name's Lilith. You're all very lucky to be alive," Finn informed them, his tone grave.

"Why did they want Elena?" Rebekah pressed, her impatience mounting.

"They didn't say," Miranda answered, shaking her head. "John didn't seem like himself. It was like something had taken over him. He kept saying they needed her, and things would be better soon."

"John Gilbert killed Tobias Fell and attacked Alaric tonight," Finn added, his voice hard. "He nearly killed him."

"What?" Jenna gasped. "Is Ric, okay?"

"Yes, Damon and Elijah got to him in time. Damon healed him," Rebekah assured her.

"The Sheriff told them that two other council members have been murdered in the past few days. John Gilbert is a suspect in those deaths as well. Do you have any idea where he might be?" Finn asked, his gaze sharp.

"Why isn't Liz here asking these questions herself?" Miranda demanded, her voice rising in anger.

"The Sheriff might be capable of bringing John in, but the woman he's working with, Lilith, is very old and a very powerful practitioner of magic. The Sheriff and her deputies wouldn't stand a chance against her," Rebekah explained, her voice unwavering.

Miranda looked ready to argue, but after a glance at her son and her sister, the realization that all three of them had almost died seemed to bring her around.

"We own a cabin up by Dunham Lake. John was staying there. I don't know if he still is, but it's the only place I can think of," Miranda said, her voice breaking.

"Thank you," Rebekah replied curtly. She didn't care much for any of them, but she knew Maya was fond of Jeremy and that Damon considered Jenna a friend, so she decided to offer some advice. "You might want to find a place to stay until this is resolved."

Jenna and Jeremy both nodded, but Miranda frowned, a worried look in her eyes.

"When you resolve this, will you bring Elena back alive?" she asked, her voice laced with desperation.

"That depends," Finn answered honestly. "If Elena is a willing participant in whatever they're planning, then killing her may be our only recourse."

He didn't like killing, but he would do it to protect his family.

"Just wipe her memory again!" Miranda pleaded, her eyes wide with fear.

"How many times should we extend her mercy, only to have it thrown back in our faces?" Rebekah asked coldly, her gaze piercing.

"She's, my daughter!" Miranda cried, her voice breaking with emotion.

"And she's willing to kill us and our siblings," Rebekah retorted, her voice like ice. "We care as much for our family as you do for yours."

Miranda's face crumpled, the weight of Rebekah's words sinking in. The room fell into a heavy silence, each person grappling with the harsh reality of the situation. Jeremy looked ready to object, but Jenna stilled him with a gentle hand on his arm.

"I don't like it, but I understand the willingness to kill to protect what's yours," Jenna said, her voice steady. She nodded at Finn and Rebekah. "Thank you for saving us. I don't know whether Elena went with John willingly or not, but if you wipe her memory and return her to us, we'll leave town."

Jenna glanced at Miranda, and Rebekah realized this was something they must have already discussed.

"We'll take Elena and go somewhere far away. Start a new life."

Finn and Rebekah shared a look. It wasn't a perfect solution, but it was one that might sit better with certain people in their lives.

"No promises," Finn replied, his tone brutally honest. "We'll do what we can, but if it comes down to it, my family will come first."

Miranda was crying, silent tears of despair as Jeremy hugged her, but Jenna nodded firmly. She knew it was the best they were going to get. Honestly, she understood it from their point of view—they'd offered Elena more kindnesses than most would have, and she'd still attempted to kill them. Jenna was honestly surprised they hadn't killed her after the last attempt on their lives; she doubted most vampires would have shown that kind of restraint.

"Thank you," Jenna said, her voice filled with genuine gratitude.

Rebekah's hard expression softened just a fraction.

"You really should find somewhere else to stay for the next few days. There's no guarantee Lillith won't come back."

Jenna nodded, already considering where to go that would be safer than staying here. With that, Finn and Rebekah turned to leave, disappearing into the night, and leaving the Gilberts to prepare for whatever was coming.

"What would they even want her for anyway?" Klaus demanded, pacing back and forth with agitation. "It's not like they'll be able to link us together again."

"Doppelganger blood is powerful," Kol interjected, lounging nonchalantly on the sofa. "It's uses are many. Let's just assume it's nothing good and get on with plotting their downfall."

"How do we find them if they're not using this cabin?" Stefan asked, frustration evident in his voice.

Maya looked up from studying the spell to break Esther free from Lilith. If it wasn't so urgent, it would be really funny how clueless her family could be sometimes. They'd had this exact same conversation five months ago and they'd already forgotten.

"Dia's pretty certain Lilith won't leave town until she's either accomplished what she came for or it's become impossible for her to do so," Kol answered. "If they're not at the cabin, then we figure out a list of possible locations and narrow it down until we find them."

"Or we use a locator spell," Maya suggested, her tone slightly exasperated.

Kol shook his head.

"The only blood link we have access to is Jeremy, and his relation to Elena and John is too distant to work since Lilith will almost definitely be shielding their location."

Maya sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Doppelganger blood would work."

"I don't have any of Elena's blood," Klaus replied, frustration creeping into his voice. "I only have blood from Stefan's doppelganger."

Maya rolled her eyes and sighed loudly, clearly annoyed.

"You're all missing the obvious."

The three of them exchanged confused looks.

"We can just ask Katherine. I'm sure she'd be willing—she hates John, and I don't think she likes Elena that much either."

The room fell silent as the idea sank in.

"Still the problem of getting hold of her," Stefan objected, his brow furrowed in thought.

"Elijah's been exchanging letters with her; he could probably get in touch with her," Kol suggested, leaning back with a smirk.

"Or we could just call her," Maya proposed, her tone casual.

All three of them turned to look at her, surprise etched on their faces.

"You have Katerina's number?" Klaus asked, an annoyed look in his eyes.

"Uncle Elijah probably does too, if you want to wait for him to get back," Maya said, shrugging nonchalantly.

"Why do you have her number? And why didn't I already know about this?" Klaus demanded.

Maya rolled her eyes.

"I didn't tell you, 'cause I knew you wouldn't like it." She shrugged, "It's not like we talk regularly. She gave it to me in case of emergencies, and I think this qualifies."

"Maya's right." Stefan agreed, "Time is of the essence. We should call her."

Maya pulled out her phone and dialled Katherine's number, putting it on speaker. The phone rang a few times before a familiar, sly voice answered.

"Maya, darling, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Katherine's voice was laced with curiosity and amusement.

"Katherine, we need your help," Maya said, wasting no time. "We need to find Elena, and we need your blood to do a locator spell."

"Hmm, this wouldn't have anything to do with John Gilbert and whoever he's teamed up with, would it?" Katherine's tone turned slightly more serious.

"He's teamed up with a Necromancer named Lilith. Elena's with them, and we don't know what they're planning. The only way we'll find them in time to stop them is if we use your blood to locate Elena."

There was a brief silence on the other end before Katherine responded,

"Sounds like quite the party. Why should I help?"

"Because you hate John," Stefan interjected, stepping closer to the phone. "And I doubt you're particularly fond of Elena either. Once we find them, it's likely they'll both end up dead. Wouldn't you like to be a part of that?"

"It's true, I do hate them both, but what do I get out of it?" Katherine's voice was teasing but with an edge of seriousness.

"You get to survive," Klaus told her, an underlying growl to his words, his patience wearing thin.

Maya rolled her eyes at her dad's approach, but Stefan took over the conversation.

"They're trying to kill the Originals," he explained. "When an Original dies, so does their entire sireline. You really want to risk suddenly dropping dead because you didn't help?"

"Appealing to my sense of self-preservation," Katherine laughed softly. "You know me too well, Stefan. Alright, I'm in. Where do you need me?"

"We'll come to you," Klaus said, his tone brooking no argument. "Where are you?"

"I'm in New York," Katherine replied. "There's a place called the Dragon's Roost."

"I know it," Stefan said, recognition flickering in his eyes.

"Good, meet me there," Katherine said, a hint of a smile in her voice.

"Thank you, Katherine," Maya said, relief evident in her voice.

"Don't thank me yet. Let's see if we can actually pull this off," Katherine said before hanging up.

As the call ended, Kol immediately took charge, his voice sharp and decisive.

"Alright, listen up. Stefan and I will head to New York. Klaus, you stay here with Maya. We need to keep her safe until Lilith is dealt with." He glanced at Klaus, who nodded in agreement. Klaus had no intention of leaving his daughter's side while the threat loomed.

Kol turned to Stefan his expression serious.

"Stefan, you meet Katherine and get her blood. I'll connect with Dia and work out a plan of attack. Whatever Lilith and John Gilbert are up to, the sooner we put an end to it, the better."

Stefan nodded, determination in his eyes.

"Got it. I'll make sure we get what we need."

Kol then focused on Maya, his tone softening slightly.

"Maya, finish memorizing that spell, okay, witchling?"

She nodded, her eyes shining with resolve.

"I will, Uncle Kol."